Working like an Egypt
by Julielein
Summary: An complete AU story placed in the ancient Egypt. Cosima has a family to feed and Delphine a secret to keep. With so many forces around them, does those two even have a chance? Slave Cosima, princess Delphine. Most clones are featured and even if it's a Cophine story, there's much more going on.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey, this story idea doesn't leave me alone for days now so I thought I need to write it before it turns me insane. I have to thank the great 'elodealeaf' for being my beta and giving me story ideas and directions. So glad to have her. So I'll see where this story goes and hope you guys like it.

If you wonder what a few mentioned gods stand for it's explained at the end.

_Italic = Inner monologue_

_'Italic in those things' = Kind of Inner voice, you'll see  
_

* * *

"Cosima I'm not sure that's a good idea. There're guards-the royal guards for the sake of Isis! You're going to get yourself killed."

"So what? You expect me to sit here and wait, let you three starve while they literally sit on the food and store it in bunkers for the gods? Fresh, healthy food Sarah! It just rots in those temples and only serves to satisfy the hunger of those fat priests. The same priests who tell us every day that we should be thankful to serve the great pharaoh by building that pyramid. I bet if we took away their fruit, corn, wine and meat and let them work eighteen hours for a little sip of water, they'd finally shut up." The young woman replied. Her hands balled to fists when she just thought about this morning.

One of the old priests in his white robe came to examine the pyramid work, holding a chicken wing in his hand. He ate it in front of hundreds of underweight, hungry, hard-working men and women. He just stood there, watching them, when they had to put stones on the right places but always had one eye on the mans right hand where the chicken wing was slowly getting less and less. If it weren't for all the guards Cosima was sure that there wouldn't be much left of that priest. It wasn't just the chicken; it was the fact that he had so much disrespect for them to hold it under their noses. Most of them probably wouldn't even touch the meat, just smack this arrogant grin out of his face, nothing more, maybe even continued their work after and Cosima wouldn't stop them for sure. She didn't believe in violence and never acted on it herself, but she understood the need of others to do so. Sometimes she wanted to punch things too but it never worked, not for her. The last time she tried to hit someone her fist slammed against a heavy stone wall and all of her anger shifted instantly into shame when she felt the burning pain in her hand. Violence wasn't something she used because it always ended badly for her but she knew that someday soon, she might need to overcome her internal dislike for it. Especially if things got down any further.

It just wasn't fair, but she stopped believing in fairness years ago. It also wasn't fair of her to scream at Sarah like this, she could see the young girl shaking a little, not used from such an outburst from her big sister. The last days had been hard on them and slowly Cosima lost her will to stay calm, she needed to act, she needed to do something. If she just sat here and waited, nothing would change. Her sisters were dying-all three of them-and Cosima wasn't willing to accept that without a fight. Maybe they weren't related by blood, but that didn't make them any less her family and her family was something she would protect at all cost.

Her sisters were there for her for as long as Cosima could remember. They'd met in the small orphanage in Alexandria, and they had protected each other ever since. As far as Cosima was concerned, that's what made them a family; not the same parents or crazy bunch of relatives. Hell, they probably were more of a family than the most blood related.

Since the pharaoh shut down the orphanage to have more space for the travelers, they had to move into the ghetto of Alexandria, Egypt's biggest city and home of the royal family. Residence of the great pharaoh; chosen by the gods themselves, blessed by the power of Ra and the biggest idiot alive.

If she just thought about the way he treated his subordinates**, **her blood began to boil. She's never witnessed an emperor who treated the poor and sick like insects, not worth to kiss the earth he walked upon. Not that she knew any other emperor, but nobody could be worse than him. He let his own people, citizens and slaves alike, starve and demanded them to work on that stupid pyramid so it would be finished whenever he died. Cosima couldn't wait for that day to come. She hoped it would be sooner rather than later.

The whole pyramid concept itself was idiotic. Building a something just to be buried in it, so your soul can find the way to the gods. As if it wouldn't be able to do so without. Where did the souls of people go who hadn't the gold or just weren't cruel enough to let people die for this big dream? The whole thing was highly illogical, but nobody else seemed to share her opinion in that matter.

She believed in the gods like everybody else. Isis, Ra, Horus, Osiris and the whole gang, especially of course her personal favorite, Thot, god of wisdom. But they were gods. Gods! She was pretty sure Osiris and Anubis would be able to find everybody's soul without a big stone pyramid literally pointing at it. If not, she'd need to reconsider if they were really worth being praised or even called gods.

"Please Cosima don't do it. They'll kill you if they find you." Sarah pleaded for the hundredth time that night. Sarah held her arms in a tight grip, but she'd lost a lot of strength over the last few weeks, so she couldn't muster as much as the usual energy bundle Cosima had to fight normally whenever she didn't let Sarah have her will. Of course, it wasn't without risk. But how else could she feed her sisters? Helena was already sick and almost too weak to look her into the eyes. Alison also had problems at the market today, breaking some pots as she was too weak to hold them for a longer time. Xander, the potter, didn't punish her for it but refused to pay her today as replacement for her inadequacy. Sarah got weaker too but she refused to let it show too much but in situations like this Cosima could feel it. It was Cosima's job to care for her sisters, she promised Siobhan that she would when they last parted and she would hold onto that promise at all costs.

"Don't worry, Sarah." Cosima said, taking her knives into her shoes. "I'll get in, take some food and get out again. Plain and simple. What can go wrong?" She tried to sound hopeful, sent her sister her cheerful grin when she turned to her but Sarah's raised eyebrow made it clear that she did a horrible job hiding her nervousness so she dropped the act immediately again. "Look, we need food and they have it. Maybe I'll even find a little bit of gold so we can live for a little while from it. There's no other way, Sarah. Helena won't make it much longer." Cosima said, keeping her voice low as her gaze turned immediately to the little room where her sister slept.

Cosima was right, Helena needed help. They'd all need help sooner or later. What other options did they have? They already worked as much as possible. Cosima worked at the pyramids, plaiting ropes to drag the stones or doing whatever she needed to, Alison worked at the market, selling pots to people who could still effort it and normally Sarah would work at the market too but Helena's sickness made her presence at home more needed. When her twin broke down in front of her last week it scared the small girl to death, making her pray to every god she knew that her sister got well again and not leaving her like Katja did before.

They couldn't achieve a healer but the sicker Helena got, the more they knew they needed one. The sisters were scared and Cosima's desperate plan showed exactly that, her desperation. Cosima didn't want a repeat of Katja's passing and wanted to do something to prevent another one of her sisters leaving her like that. Sarah knew that and it was the only reason that stopped her from following her out of the door and stopping her from her task. Now the only thing she could do was to pray for her sister and trust in her ability. "Thot, you better not let her down tonight!" The girl threatened Cosima's patron, knowing full well that there wasn't anything more she could. "Please come back, Cosima." The girl whispered before she lockedthe door to prevent any unwanted visitors or desperate parents from stealing their last bit of food.

* * *

She could feel it as soon as she stepped out of the door, the strong breeze blowing in her face, filling her senses with the smell of that part of the city; dirt, blood, sweat, the city in its purest form. Maybe this place wasn't the heart of Alexandria, but something different but equally important. It's true soul. The rotten soul of the city slowly crawled into the ghettos and took all of the broken dreams, hopes, miseries and desperation into this place just to attract more victims into it's down spiral. Here were the broken dreams of hundreds, maybe thousands of people who'd lost their hope of a better life a long time ago, just accepting their fate. Work and die as a slave for the pharaoh, or sell your body if you need to, get paid, take whatever you can to the temple so that the gods will bless your soul. That way maybe just your life in this world will be miserable and the next world will be better.

People here accepted their fate, most of them but not her. Not Cosima. She'd never accept what happened here. In just a few years the new ruler of Egypt has run the city into a spiral where it would lose itself in its depths someday. Each day the intensity of the city smell got worse and the strong wind blowing it directly into her face didn't help to control her anger either. Someone needed to stop this. Not a simple orphan, that's for sure. She didn't have the knowledge or the power to change anything. The only thing she could do was feed her family.

The strong smell got lost the closer she got to the temple. Now she only smelled the bittersweet taste of incense and a light ode of meat and fruits. No wonder. They were brought the whole way from around the city. Not just the slums. Also the palace and the trader area. Everybody wanted to make the weight on the scale of justice as heavy as possible, so it would sink into their favor. Normally Cosima loved the strong breeze in her nose, letting the wind play with her hair and enjoying the thought that the same wind that just pressed against her body could be under the wings of a falcon a few minutes later. Nothing else had the same amount of freedom in her eyes, not even the great chosen of Ra himself.

If the strong breezes wouldn't stop soon, her plan would fall apart. As strong as the wind was it was very likely that the guards would chose to get inside, avoiding the cold and stopping the plan Cosima worked on for days now. If she was forced to try again tomorrow there was a higher possibility to get caught. Cosima could feel her strength slowly fading away too. She hadn't properly slept or eaten in days, just the little bit of water the wardens gave her during her pyramid duty. The little amount of food she got she gave to her sisters, and she started slowly to feel the price for that, as her world turned blurry now and then. She almost wasn't able to resist the wind from knocking her of her feet. Tomorrow it would get even harder to fulfill the plan. Damn. Why couldn't anything work in her favor, just once?

_Damn Thot, a little help would be nice. Maybe stopping the wind or just letting the guards stay out a little while longer, nothing more. Just make them stay; make them do what they always do. Please. Just this once._

"Fire! Fire! Help!" A panicked voice screamed and getting the attention of the guards to the small lane opposite the temple. Completely away from the roof of the house beside the temple where Cosima was located. And even more important, away from the small window in the wall, a few feet above the roof where Cosima planned to get in.

_Finally, you're late Ramon_. The young man came out of the shadows of the houses, stumbling to the guards. As expected, nobody moved. Why should they help a normal citizen when standing still in the cold night wind was so much less troublesome then to actually do something? Ramon got closer to them, reaching the first man and touching his arm.

"Please help me! Our house is burning down and my sister is in there still. She'll die if you don't help her." No reaction. But Cosima had to admire Ramon's acting skills for a second, not that she ever doubted that he could totally nail it. The small soot on his cheeks and his stumbling moves just made it more believable. Now it came to use that he broke his ankle last week, more like got it broken by a guard as he ran away from them. Unnecessary cruelty for stealing simple bread. Hopefully Ramon didn't go much further; he was playing with his life right now. If everything got as planned she would be able to repay him with some real food. More then simple bread.

"Please! My sister!" He screamed again, tugging the man forcefully away from his spot, at least he tried to, as he wasn't nearly strong enough to do so. Now the guard reacted. His arm shot forward, slapping Ramon into his face and made him fall down.

"If your sister survives this she may have not a brother to protect her anymore!" One of the guards screamed and the others just joined into his laughter, obviously enjoying the situation they found themselves in. If she could Cosima would whip this virtuous grin out of their faces but she needed to hope that they'd be punished when her break in was detected. _Patience, Cosima._

Ramon was still lying on the ground and she was too far away to see if the smack hurt him enough to draw blood. Then again,he was used to this. Ramon knew how to take punches but he lay a little to still for her liking. Sometimes he was too good for his own good. He knew her plan, knew where she was right now but not looking at her even if she knew he wanted to, but he didn't. She needs to be fast now. The smoke from the small fire Ramon set with her help in a small fountain near the temple slowly made its way here. The wind blew the whole smoke into their direction now and Cosima silently thanked whoever was behind this that the wind finally turned in the right direction. As the fog was confusing the guards as their eyes started to tear up at the contact. Maybe she should've used a little less of the green powder. She wanted them, to cry but one of them seemed to have trouble breathing.

_Go inside! They wouldn't care about you either! Tears never killed anyone. Go inside! You need the food!'_ Right! She did! The small window she stood in front of, well twenty feet below, was finally safe to be climbed into. Now she could get inside without the risk of them noticing her.

Her hand gripping into the hole in the stone wall, climbing slowly upwards to the entry. She had trouble getting a firm grip; there were a lot of loose stones which made climbing even harder. It wasn't easy finding the small moles in the building to get a better grip. Some were vents, some just witnesses of the buildings ages. But the smoke got to her too now. Slowly, her own tears clouded her sight and now she definitely knew that it was too much powder, fuck. She would fall. Maybe they were only five feet to climb but she didn't have the strength to do so. The wind really was against her today. _Damn you, Amun__**.**_

_Come on Cosima, you can do this. Just a few steps more.'_ She tried to motivate herself. _Think of your sisters, Helena needs you! Sarah and Alison need you! You promised Siobhan! And you promised it yourself! Get your shit together and climb. You owe them!_ Sadly that wouldn't help her tears from falling and disturb her sight or stopping her arms from slowly losing their strength and making the possibility of her falling down more and more likely. At least the guards couldn't see her either so they wouldn't throw knives at her. _Always look on the bright sight of life, right?_

A small laugh. Beautiful, like a choir of the most beautiful singers and not even close. She knew that laugh. She loved it, she hated it, and she was desperate to hear it again.

'_Cosima, come on, you can do this.'_ The voice whispered now and Cosima took all of her willpower to concentrate on the voice instead of the burning feeling in her eyes or her protesting arms. That didn't help her to see any better as she lost the grip on one of the holes and slipped a little. Luckily she could hold herself on the wall. This wasn't going to work, she was doomed.

'_Cherie, you can't give up now. Not when you're so close. Cosima please! Just a few more steps.'_ How she loved that voice. She would do anything to just see a face to it. A light cough erupted her lungs. _Probably not that much of a chance to find that face._ She thought when she fought the burning in her lungs from ripping her insides apart. Again her fingers grabbed into nothingness as she now tried to grab anything she could hold onto. Ironic that her own trap for the guards, preventing them from seeing her climb, was going to be her death sentence now. This brought a small smile on her lips. At least it was completely in her hands and she couldn't blame anyone else for her death. '_Don't you dare to give up now! Not now! Not when you're so close! You promised you wouldn't give up, ever! Hold on to that promise! Do it for me! Cosima Please.'_

_Then climb yourself!_ She wanted to scream at that voice in her head, cursing it for making her fight. Begging her to do so and making her wonder why she obeyed, following the lead of a simple voice in her head. But it worked; she could feel the big fringe of the window. A few more seconds and she would be inside the temple, finally able to feed her family. She grabbed into the hole, searching for a solid place to grip and take her whole weight. There it was. Her goal. Her life saver. It took all her strength to get her weakened body into the window but she finally made it. It was done. She was inside.

She was on the third floor. At least Cosima assumed this from the height of the window. Unfortunately this didn't make it any better. She had no plans or knowledge of what to expect here. Nor did she know where the storage room was. She needed to orientate herself as fast as possible. The priests would be up soon for their daily rituals: screaming at people, taking their donations, telling them they needed to be more generous if they want Osiris to grant their souls a place in Iaru**. **Breaking into the temple was punished by death. She knew what she needed to do. _Run!_

* * *

_A/N: Here's a little key to explain the Egyptian stuff._

_Definition:_

_Amun: King of the gods and god of the wind_

_Anubis: Protector of the dead and embalming_

_Isis: Goddess of health, marriage, and love_

_Osiris: God of the afterlife, death, life, and resurrection_

_Thot: God of Knowledge, Hieroglyphs and Wisdom_

_Scale of justice and place of Iaru: After your death your soul is in front Osiris, on one side the scale is weighted with all your good deeds and when your bad deeds aren't heavier than the good ones, your good and are granted in the great world of Iaru (something like heaven where everything is perfect)_

I hope I didn't forget anything, if so just ask.

Don't know if this inner voice thing actually works but I kind of like it so I thought I leave it in, you'll see why. Hopefully you weren't confused, if so say and I'll need to think of something different.

I don't know if Orphan Black and Egypt can actually work together but like I said it wouldn't leave me alone and I just love Egypt and gods and Orphan Black so it came natural to me to join them.

I really hope you guys like it and feel free to review and tell me what you think. ;)

Julie


	2. Chapter 2

The third floor is deserted, but she almost collided with a man on the second.

Panicked, she ran to the first floor. There's a door in front of her. The storage room. It had to be it. A big door, decorated with symbols and ornaments, signs of Renenutet**, **goddess of nourishment**.** Cosima managed to hide behind a big pillar when a man closed the door behind him, carrying a lot of supplies to prepare breakfast. Damn, she needed to hurry. How long would it take the rest of the temple residents to wake up? She needed to grab some food and get out.

Thankfully, she had a plan. Ramon would wait under the window where she climbed in and send her a signal when she could throw the food out safely. Then, she'd hide until the big ceremony started. Today they would pray to Renenutet for a great cropand to Sobek, to beg him not to flood the fields with his wrath. Cosima would attend the ceremony; all citizens were allowed to attend, so she wouldn't attract any attention. After the ritual and prayers, she'd walk out of the entrance hale, like everyone else. At least, that was the plan. Right now she had the feeling that she would need much more luck than she originally intended.

Cosima quickly looked to her left and right before she rushed to the big storage door. The door was heavy but she made it, it as fast as she could behind her. Just now she allowed herself a short pause to breathe as she leaned against the door, closing her eyes and let it all sink in. She was finally here. Everything she planned had worked out so far; she was halfway through. Her family would have a chance.

The room was filled with so many different smells that she needed to take a deep sniff to differentiate all the flavors as they immediately flooded her mind. Watermelon, pineapple, oranges, apples, mandarins, pears**, **strawberry, cheese, milk, chicken, pork, fish: everything she dreamed of on a daily basis was now here in the same room as her. As well as a confused looking young man in a white robe standing in front of her. _Shit!_

The man was shocked. His wide eyes and his open mouth told her that much. Cosima froze. If he could stay in his shocked state, for a few minutes more so she could take at least a little out of here.

"Who..." he stuttered. Would've been too easy, of course. Cosima sighed and mentally prepared herself to run. "Who are you?" He didn't sound sure. Like he didn't know if his question was even appropriate. Maybe she could fool him a little, just so he wouldn't scream for the guards. _Charmer_ _smile_ _on,_ _Cosima. Take a deep breath and act as you totally belong here. You can do this!_

"Thank Isis I finally find someone! Took ages!" She hoped her voice sounded much more confident for him than in her own ears. A small drop of sweat ran over her face but she didn't dare to rub it away, hoping he wouldn't notice her nervousness. Now that she eyed him closer she wasn't so sure of his age anymore. Maybe boy was a better notation for him, he was just tall, taller than her, but that went for most man. He was a little stocky. Not as much as the old priests who barely could set one foot in front of the other, but still a lot bigger than the citizens Cosima was used to. He probably lived here or came from a rich family. A lot of them sent their children here to educate them.

"Well, I'm new here. And one of the priests sent me to get him a few supplies for his breakfast." _Please play along, please don't be suspicious, please don't ask who sent me!_

"Who sent you?"

_Of course…_

"I don't know, man. I'm new here and I'm happy to even have found this room." The boy nodded but didn't seem totally convinced either.

"I'm not good with names. He was a little taller than me, short grey hair, obviously enjoyed to eat, if you know what I mean." She grinned and showed the corpulence with her hands. The description was vague and could match every one of the older priests. Hopefully, the young man didn't notice that too. But he didn't question her either, just stood there watching her.

"Well I'll just take this basket and leave you alone again with the rest. You know how they hate to wait, right?" He nodded and watched her take the handle of the basket on her right side. The man seemed to be a little overwhelmed right now, so Cosima decided to push her luck. "He asked me especially for some pork and chicken, could you please." She pointed behind him and the man immediately turned around and brought her what she asked for, laying it into the fruit basket Cosima held. "Thank you. That's so nice of you. I probably will get a speech for taking so long, you're a life saver." He nodded. "Maybe I should take this basket too. Who knows if one will be enough. I mean there's a lot of space to fill, right?" Cosima joked and took the handle of a second basket without any reply from him. "Could you please open that for me?" She asked but he already was on the way anyway. _Sweet and nice. They'll train that out of you buddy. Such a waste. _

"Thanks a lot, man."

"I live to serve." He replied with a keen smile and Cosima lightly bowed in front of him. "Then I'm glad I was there to witness you selfless act, oh big servant."

"I'm Scott."

"Cosima." _Idiot! You can't tell him your real name! _She scolded herself but the harm was already done.

"And I have to go now. Bye, Scott. Maybe I'll see you around."

* * *

Cosima ran up the stairs to the third floor. Second room on the right—no—left side. Her time was slowly running out. She planned to search for a place to hide before everybody got up. But she already ran by a lot of people and she could hear voices all over the place. Obviously everybody here was an early riser or maybe they just decided to make her day a lot more miserable. Maybe they needed to make some preparations for the ceremony. She hadn't taken that in consideration that priest did last minute preparations too, like normal people. In her mind they were just perfectly organized, all knowing super human beings. It was a little refreshing to know they had something in common.

She should try to climb out of the window again, with so many people around the danger of getting caught was increasing by the second. But climbing down was so much more difficult than climbing up. She wouldn't be able to see the holes in the wall to get a grip on. If she stayed her and someone saw her and her not very temple like clothes, it was far likely they wouldn't be as fooled as easily as Scott. That even one person believed her bad act was beyond her. The boy seemed to have the nativity of a child and probably couldn't imagine someone breaking in here. Maybe couldn't fathom a reason to do so. Lucky boy.

She found the room again and instantly went to the window. One short look on the ground and she could see Ramon standing there, like they planned. There was a small bundle of clothes in front of him; he probably stole them from the roofs around the area. Clever. So whatever she'd throw out wouldn't bruise. The women would need to wash their clothes again. A whole day of work was lost for them because they decided to dry them outside. But on the bright side at least there would be clothes they could wash. Sometimes even those got stolen.

Cosima forced herself to stay calm. He needed to give her the signal. He glanced around again before he waved at her and seconds after that she could see bright sparkles of light to her right side. The sun began to rise. No one would dare to look up here; right into the face of Ra, god of the sun. Looking into his face has caused a lot of people blindness, a sign of Ra's wrath for there blatantly. She hurried to empty the basket but also trying to strike the cloth tower as precise as possible. Then she let the empty basket fall and repeated the same scenario with the second basket. It worked. Nobody saw her. Nothing seemed to be broken from the fall or at least not much. But would the small bundle also save her from breaking?

It was high, far higher than it looked like from below. Shit, she would die if she jumped. Maybe she should wait and follow her original plan. Nobody had come into the room yet, and if she stayed quiet, maybe...

A cacophony of loud noises rose from the second floor. Nobody should be here now. At least not so loud and definitely not that many people shouting and searching, checking each room. They detected her break in. Scott probably came to his mind. She could choose now. Dying from jumping out of a window or dying by the hands of the guards. Suddenly, the cloths weren't so unattractive anymore. It would be faster than whatever the guards would do with her and there was still a small chance that she could survive this. She needed to try. One last glance out and she saw that Ramon already put everything into the baskets again, if this work by some miracle they just needed to take the baskets and run. _You can do this! _Taking a deep breath in and forcing her eyes to stay open, she put one leg out of the window when she saw Ramon wave widely with his arms, trying to stop her from this stupid idea. From this high he looked kind of funny, like a panicked bird trying to fly away. The noises on the floor got louder; they were in a room next to her. She sat on the window now, both legs were hanging in the air. She just needed to aim for the cloths and let go. She needed to let go. _Let go! _But it was so damn high!

Her thoughts raced, fathoming every possible scenario. Death, life, death, life. A man stormed into the room. He grabbed her by the arm and tugged her forcefully inside. Cosima tried to fight him, tightening her grip on the window frame. She even tried to push herself out of the frame, but the man was too strong. He pulled her back with brutal force and she landed hard on her head inside the small room. Suddenly, everything was starting to blur. The voices got sounded fuzzy and far away, but she could still feel the two hands holding her arms. To make things worse, the man now laid his whole weight against her body, pressing her on the ground, preventing her from moving even an inch.

"Who are you?" He shouted in her ear and Cosima could see the small vein on his head pulsating. This man was nothing like Scott, not shocked or bluffed. Just angry. Not a good sign.

"I'm...I'm..." she couldn't answer him. Not because she didn't want to but she simply couldn't. She couldn't breathe properly. This man suddenly had his hand on her neck and forceful prevented her from doing so. He couldn't be so dumb to actually expect an answer from her like this. Kill and ask later was a typical procedure from the guards of the Pharaoh. This was it. Her last seconds.

_'No, Cosima fight! You have to fight, please! Not like this! Cosima please!' _The angelic voice begged her again but she also sounded defeated, like she knew it was hopeless too. Cosima imagined hearing the voice crying, which was impossible but a much nicer sound than the man's angry questions.

Slowly, her world darkened and she almost couldn't hear the high-pitched scream that came from the entrance. Someone was screaming her name and Cosima swore it sounded exactly like the voice in her head—the voice from her angel. But this time was different. The voice wasn't clear, not like she was coming from inside her head; she was as blur as the man's voice. Maybe her mind was playing tricks with her? Or could it be Osiris last gift for her? Granting her one last wish before he took her soul to judgment? The angel sounded so worried and panicked, not as carefree as she was used to. The angel shouldn't sound like that. It didn't feel right.

She heard her whisper her name again; much softer this time. There was a light touch on her cheek, cherishing her. "Cosima." she repeated it like a mantra and coming from the angles lips her name sounded like a praise.

If the last thing she ever heard was the angel's voice calling her name, she'd die happily.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for the great response! Love your feedback. If you have questions or find any inadequacies feel free to talk to me. A special thanks goes to _'elodealeaf'_ for betaing me and pointing me to my mistakes. I'm so single minded sometimes.

So I hope you enjoyed it and a review would be lovely. ;)


	3. Chapter 3

She heard it again. The voice. She was humming a steady rhythm. Cosima could swear she'd heard the song before, knew the words the rhythm danced to, but her brain couldn't process right now. The whole world was a blur. Her attempts to open her eyes failed miserably but Cosima didn't mind. Wherever she was it was warm, it felt safe, and it felt familiar. She wouldn't mind staying here for a little while longer.

There was someone with her. The humming stopped momentarily and she felt hands on her forehead. Soft and warm, trying to be as light as possible when they took the wet cloth from her forehead just to replace it only a few seconds later with a new one. The cold wasn't uncomfortable; it was refreshing in a way, and the hammerin her head slowly reduced its drums. Slowly, the little sounds she heard made sense. Indeed someone sung, quiet, not to disturb her but with so much heart and emotion that Cosima needed to brace herself not to cry. Someone held her hand, strong enough for her to feel it but not to hurt her, and with such an intensity that she doubt she'd ever have her hand to herself again. The voice was speaking to someone, making it clear not to leave her alone.

Surely a little sleep would be fine. Only a short while. She used the last of her energy to tighten the grip on the warm hand that held her close. The woman needed to stay with her and be there when she woke up. And she could swear she felt a light pressure on her hand, trying to reassure her that much.

* * *

"When will she wake up?"

"I don't know, princess. She seems weak; maybe her body just needs a little more rest. Isis will take care of her." The old man tried to convince the young woman in front of him.

"As she did before?" The answer is sarcastic and probably too harsh and uncalled for, but she can't help it. Isis hadn't done anything for her, not in all the years she prayed to her and even now she played a cruel trick on her.

"The great goddesses brought her here, didn't she? So we can help her." His answer was bold considering his echelon but he knew she wouldn't punish him. No one would beside the Pharaoh himself. Varus, best healer of the Egypt and also one of the Pharaoh's most gifted confidants. Everybody trusted his opinion, believed whatever he's saying. He was the best. But not even he could guarantee the princess that the unconscious woman in front of her would be fine again, no matter how much she prayed to Isis for it.

"You have some interesting friends, princess. If you don't mind me saying, she doesn't seem like the servants you usually surround yourself with."

"She's not a simple servant," her voice is strict, not willing to have this conversation with him. The Pharaoh and she'll have it soon enough and her story isn't perfect yet. Going into much detail now would leave opportunities to blow it later, being polite wasn't worth the risk.

"Is there anything more you can do for her?"

"I'm afraid not, your highness." He replied with a bow.

"Then please go. Leave me alone." Her tone doesn't allow any protest and he wouldn't dare either. His work here was done. Wounds closed, scratches cleaned, the small bruises on her arm and neck would fade with time. Only food, water and rest would help the small woman now and the princess was determined to give her as much as she needed and more.

For her, it was unusual to have such an investment in other people. Not that she was cold, but to Varus it always seemed like the princess wasn't a deeply caring person but he also never witnessed her with friends; she didn't have many, and none he personally knew. When the young man came running into the palace, saying the princess demanded his presence for an emergency in the temple his interest was raised. Normally he only treated the people in the palace, royal visitors at best. This young woman in front of him was weak, her body in a bad shape, hands scratched from hard work, not someone he would be ordered to help normally. They were a waste of his talent as such people didn't survive long enough so that they could repay him. An weakened body, caused probably by starving and furthermore hurt by the cruelty of a guard who wanted to make a name for himself. Bad combination. The head injury was probably the worst but as soon as he could stop the bleeding, the sobbing from the princess died down and she finally stopped to whisper in a language no one could understand. Her recovery would take time.

He took all of his supplies and went to the door before he turned to her, one last time. "When she wakes up: no arguments, no fights, no rushed movements, no hard work. Her shoulder needs to heal and her body needs to rest. Try to go easy on her. She may have trouble speaking or memory loss. Give her time, your highness." With those words he left but she wasn't even looking at him, just acknowledging his instructions with a few short nods.

* * *

There was that song again. Soft, rhythmical, lovely. Someone stroked her hair, careful not to touch the spot on her head, where she feels a small burning. Soft feather light touches, familiar but insecure. One in her hair, the other floating over her leg and arm. Hands so soft she doubted they ever did something more as being drown in milk. Fingers played with her curls. Not one second was a hand not touching her, always moving like she needed to touch every part of her but careful not to leave any marks. The song changed again and Cosima felt herself starting to cry for no reason. She knew she should open her eyes, make herself known, show this woman that she was awake and very much aware what she's doing but Cosima didn't want to.

She felt so warm and safe. She hasn't felt this delighted in years; she could lay there for hours with the stranger touching her like that and hearing her angelic voice but suddenly the humming stopped as well as the strokes. A thumb rubbed over her cheek, caressing away the tears which betrayed her. The hand rested on her cheek for a little longer than necessary before it's taken away or is it just wishful thinking?

"You're awake." It was a statement, not a question. Cosima considered faking sleep again but the voice seemed sure and Cosima had the feeling that her bluff wouldn't work for a second.

"Yeah, I am." she could barely get the words out. Her throat felt dry, like she walked through the desert for days. The woman beside her pressed something against her mouth. Her voice must've been bad if even she could notice after a few words.

"Drink." She said, and for a moment Cosima thinks about refusing the offer. She doesn't know this woman and her number one rule was never to accept anything from people she doesn't know. It was a habit everyone in the ghetto shared with her. When you lived long enough in there you knew how desperate and ruthless the human race could be. Especially when you're hungry. Hunger slowly eats all of your morals away. The need to survive always comes first to them even if it means killing others. But something about this woman made her forget all of those instincts. She took a slow sip.

The liquid in the pot wasn't water like she'd expected. It was viscous, reminding her on the potion Siobhan prepared for her whenever she was sick. Like Siobhan's drink, this one also tasted like old kitchen rubbish. Was it so hard to get at least a little taste into it? Maybe a little note of orange or pineapples wasn't too much to ask for, was it? She never saw Siobhan drink that stuff herself.

_'The bad_ _taste is a part of the medicine, love.' _She always said. '_Otherwise you and your sisters would always want it.' _There was a truth in it, probably. At least, Helena would invent the most interesting sicknesses to get a little bit of sweets. Siobhan just knew them all too well.

"Thank you." Cosima whispered and the one word was enough to feel her throat was less sore already. Aside from the taste, this potion was a magical health tonic indeed. Her head hurt much less. She probably could open her eyes if she wanted to and how she wanted to see a voice to that beautiful song she previously heard. So she did.

At first, the light was too bright for her eyes and Cosima felt like Ra himself burned into her eyes and she needed to close them again instantly. Her whole body contracted a little from the sudden pain and Cosima could swear she heard a muffled_ "Merde" _before eager hands were everywhere on her body again. But now she opened her eyes again, just in time to see how a head blocked the sun from her view as the woman leant over her, blonde curls shining in the sunlight and the softest eyes she ever saw.

"Are you alright?" The young woman asked. Worry evident in her voice.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, no worries." She stutters. Who was this girl? Isis herself couldn't be more beautiful than her.

"Are you sure? He hit your head pretty hard." The womans thumb floated lightly over the injury. Hopefully it wouldn't leave a scar. On the other hand, she got caught; the punishment for stealing and breaking into the temple was death. A scar would be the least of her worries now. Who'd take care of her sisters now? Ramon? He had his own family to feed.

His mother died a few years ago. His father was old and his body marked from working on the pyramid for years, the man barely could make it day to day. Eva, his little sister was too young to work and Ramon tried to shield her from everything as good as possible. Most of the time they could afford the food for three, but never for six people.

Alison's work on the market or Sarah's way of getting money were unreliable. Helena...if—when she recovered from her fever maybe she could work there too. But for how long? None of them could work on the pyramid, like Cosima did. They were to young and small. Children their age were sent to close holes or climb inside to repair something but often didn't come back. It would be a death sentence. How could she save them now?

Slowly she felt how her throat tightened again, this time without the mans influence but with the same intensity, maybe even worse. Breathing got harder. Every deep breath she took sounded ragged. Like a bird that got hunted, it screamed desperately to get away but also knowing the inevitable.

"Shhhhh chérie, calm down. Everything is fine." Right, the woman. She was still with her, probably took care of her. Why? If they were going to kill her anyway why take the effort?

"You're safe here, Cosima. Nothing will happen to you, I promise. I won't let that happen." The pressure on her right hand was like an anchor to Cosima now, taking her back into the real world. "Just take a deep breath and calm down. Slow breaths. In and out. You're safe here. Everything is going to be fine." The woman said before she kissed her forehead.

Normally Cosimas inner cynic would make her reply bitterly. _Easy for you to say, blonde goddess of beauty_. But she didn't. For the first time in years, Cosima just believed in the words that were spoken to her. Letting the woman stroke her neck tenderly with the hand that didn't hold her own in a deathly grip. Two touches from the same person and yet completely different.

Whoever the blond goddess was, she knew how to push her buttons. Cosima's panic subsided, leaving her with the warm feeling of the womans touches alone. She felt how softly the fingers on her neck stroked over her pulse point. Slowing it down like it was the most natural thing in the world, and Cosima needed all her willpower not to fall asleep again. Her body felt so warm and safe here.

"How do you know my name?" The strokes stopped and Cosima opened her eyes just in time to see a pair of shocked amber eyes stare at her before she turned her head away. She felt the delicate fingers taken away from her neck as well but there was a light, last touch before the hand was completely taken back, like the woman couldn't help herself. But the firm grip on her hand remained, maybe loosened a bit but at least it was still there.

The woman didn't face her for a few more seconds, but Cosima could see her taking a few deep breaths and whispering something she couldn't decipher before she finally looked back at her. Lips raised to a smile that was obviously faked; she could see that instantly, her eyes also lost the sparkle they showed just seconds ago. It seemed almost like this woman was completely replaced but that was impossible. Cosima immediately tightened the grip on her own hand when she felt the shift in the woman's demeanor.

"What do you remember?" she whispered, afraid for the answer.

"Well I remember being tackled by this human battering ram."

"And before that?"

Was this a trap? Did she want Ramon's name? Knowing how she found her way into the temple?

"I don't know?"

"That's a question, not an answer." _Smart ass._

"If you could specify you question maybe I would know what you want to hear." Was that a smile on the womans lips? Did she think that this was funny?

"I don't want to know how you broke into the temple. It's obvious anyway." Cosima raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Obvious? Then enlighten me. How?" This could still be a trap. In fact, it was most likely a trap. Why did she allow herself to be challenged by this girl? Because she needed days to form a plan to get in and this woman claimed to have deciphered it in a few minutes? Her hurt pride could get her killed one day, Siobhan prophesied this for years. But this girl... Did she just smile? Was this woman really challenging her?

"You climbed. From the roof beside the temple up to the window where we found you." Cosima didn't know what hurt more. That the woman really solved the break in or the causality she said it with. Not impressed in the slightest. It was at least thirty feet from the roof and without any aid; she earned herself a little allowance. Maybe that was the reason she formed her mouth like a four year old when she replied.

"That's pretty high to climb." Did the woman really laugh at her now?

"Difficult yes, but not impossible. Not for a monkey like you." She rubbed her thumb over Cosima hand and again all anger vanished. Clearly she played with her and she couldn't find it in herself to be angry with her when she saw this playful grin directed at her.

"Am I right?" She refused to say it out loud but she needed to acknowledge the womans intelligence, it was only fair. So she nodded and the grin got even brighter.

"And before that? Why did you climb in in the first place?"

"You ask a lot of questions for someone I know nothing about." Immediately the grin was replaced by this deep frown again and Cosima cursed herself for her own answer. This woman should smile, always. It should be physical impossible for her not to. Her surprise only grew when she laid a hand over her heart before she held it to her to shake.

"Delphine."

"Cosima. But you knew that already." Cosima could see her smile again; obviously she found her insecurity entertaining.

"Enchantée."

What? What did she say? Did she just curse her? What did that mean? A strange priest word? Did she insult her? But Cosima highly doubted it. This goddess couldn't insult anyone and if so then she could use her phrase against her.

"Encha..." Or maybe not. She couldn't remember more. "Well – um - hi."

* * *

A/N: I really hope I didn't mess the Enchantée - scene up because I love it to no end but I wanted to do it a little different. Tell me if I ruined it and also what you think, of course! Thanks to everybody who reviews, follows or favorites this story and a big big thanks to _'elodealeaf'_ again for betaing and letting me ramble about ideas.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm back! I know almost a whole month but here it is! Thanks for the reviews/follows and favs I try to update sooner, I promise! Have faith!**

** Again a big thanks to 'elodealeaf' for being fantastic! **

**I hope you guys like the knew chapter and if you want to see a specific scene in reference to Egypt, tell me and I'll try to put it in.**

* * *

"So how do you know my name?" Cosima asked and softened her grip on Delphines hand.

"You told me yourself." The princess answers nonchalant and let her fingers gently graze Cosimas pulse again before she pulled her hand out of her grasp, unknown to her what she unleashed in the shorter woman. The familiar tingles originated from her pulse and spread from there through her whole body; like fire ignited by a small spark. She had to resist the urge to close her eyes and enjoy the feeling for a few seconds longer, to linger on the slightest memory of the touch. She must've hit her head harder than she anticipated if some unknown woman's touch made her feel like this.

Maybe her confusion made her following words sound harsher than she meant them to be. "How could I? I've never seen you before." Cosima was sure she would remember that. This blonde goddess was no one she could easily forget. Even Ra praised her beauty when he let the rays of his glory shine through the small window, framing the beautiful woman. Her blonde curls glowed now as bright as the gold statues beside the palace entrance. Isis had some serious competition on earth right now.

Cosima had the feeling that she was staring for an inappropriate amount of time, but she couldn't take her eyes away from Delphine. The woman's hazel eyes starred right back, examining her as well, only with probably less admiration and more curiosity. Of course she was a fascinating creature for this woman; maybe the first poor person she ever encountered closely in her privileged life. She was the new animal, one nobody had seen before but wanted to explore before it vanished completely.

If she only knew how wrong she was. There was no insecurity in her mind that Delphine didn't mirror. What she could see in the blonde's eyes wasn't curiosity for a stranger but pure admiration paired with unbelieving and hope. Hope for something she prayed for years but never became real. Not until now.

"You have. How should I know it otherwise?"

Well, Cosima could think of many ways for that. Cosima wasn't a common name in the city, so it couldn't be pure guessing luck. They lived in the capitol of Egypt and it was easy to get the right information if you know the right people. Spies, eavesdropping or maybe she was a sleep talker and her sisters just never commented...- she would stick with eavesdropping for now. Maybe Ramon screamed her name when he saw her almost fall out of the window.

"When was this?" It was the first time Delphines let her glance wander through the rest of Cosima's body, which was covered by a thin white blanket made of the finest silk. After she screamed for help and demanded for the royal healer, Delphine had ordered a guard to bring the soft coat from her own quarters in the temple.

She'd noticed the condition of the other woman's body; seen the scratches, the scars and how the bones were more present than healthy. Everything covered now by the silk blanket but not from her mind, and never from her memory. There were many differences since the last time she saw that perfect body. To cover Cosima with a blanket brought the princess an illusion of provided safety for her friend, at least for the moment.

"A few years ago, I guess. It has been a while." She answers elusive.

"Years?" Cosima was shocked. "Are you sure?"

"Oui. I haven't seen you in a long time." '_More like an eternity.'_

"That's..." Cosima wanted to say impossible, but it didn't feel right. There was this slight hesitance in the gorgeous womans voice that tingled something in her mind she simply couldn't catch. Impossible was definitely not the right word for it.

"Must've been a long time ago then."

"Very long indeed." Delphine whispered and Cosima felt like she'd melt under the blondes gaze when the princess settled her eyes on her once again. Those curious hazel eyes seemed to absorb every twitch of her muscles, every wink and every rise and fall her chest made. As well as the slight red color Cosima's cheeks took on from the attention the woman gave her.

Attention wasn't something she got a lot of, at least not from people who didn't want to rob her. Standing in front of the god of death, Osiris himself, couldn't be more difficult. Definitely not something she would be looking forward to.

"Where have we met?" The brunette asked trying to get rid the blonde's stare but it seemed to have the opposite effect as Delphine's glance bored into her even more before she formed an answer.

"We've met at a market. Like I said, it was a long time ago." The way Delphine stared at her, Cosima couldn't help but remember how Siobhan looked. Every time she suspected her to have broken the rules at the orphanage but had no evidence. She never experienced such an intense stare before or after her former guardian again, like no lie could ever be hidden.

Nervous, Cosima turned her head to the side, regretting it instantly when her world slowly started to blur from the sudden movement. It took all of her concentration not to falter and alarm the other woman on her bedside.

"Then I'm honored that I made such an impression that you're still able to remember my name." There it was again, the restrained laugh Cosima learned to love so much.

"You've made quite an impression indeed." She could feel that Delphine hadn't lifted her glance so Cosima had no choice but to continue her look around the rest of the room, looking everywhere but at Delphine. The furniture was simple; a single bed, a few baskets, a table, nothing to justify her interest for more than a few seconds and Cosima knew she was making a fool of herself in front of the princess.

"Sounds embarrassing on my part. So, whatever it was, I'm sorry and should probably apologize for it."

"Non it..." but Delphine stopped her reassurance when a man stormed through the door.

"Princess, are you alright?" Delphine sighed and finally turned her gaze away from the other woman. To her surprise it didn't bring as much relief as she'd expected but a wave of loneliness and Cosima wanted to turn the blonde womans head turn to her again.

"I'm fine, Cal." She reassured him, annoyed from his intrusion.

"Are you sure?" He crossed the room fast, standing in front of Delphine just seconds after they heard the door open. When he was convinced she was unharmed he eyed Cosima. It was different than Delphine's gaze; his eyes weren't warm or reassuring but full of mistrust for the stranger. Cosima's instincts went on full alarm mode, reminding her to be careful.

"Oui, but I can't say the same for my friend." Delphine said and pressed Cosimas hand a little. "Paul attacked her quite brutally, she has bruises all over her body and her shoulder needed Varus's attention. Your second command completely overreacted. You need to discipline him for his behavior." Delphine demanded and Cal could see how she had to ball her fists to control her anger. A trait he never saw on her before. This wasn't the first time Paul acted out of line but never had Delphine felt the need to punish him more than she did now.

"I'm sorry but his reaction was adequate. Someone was in the temple who wasn't supposed to be there." Cal started to justify his friend's reaction. "The person could've been a danger to you or the other apprentices, the priests as well as the civilians who'll come for the ceremony today. We're responsible for the safety of everybody in here, Delphine. Paul did what he thought was the right thing. After the last events more than ever." As soon as he ended Delphine was on her feet, standing just inches away from him. To Cosima's amazement the man didn't flinch from the sudden aggressive behavior, not even as his princess began to scream at him.

"He strangled an innocent, obviously much weaker woman, Cal. Not another guardian or an assassin like he is trained to do. He was just seconds away from killing her." Delphine said, pointing at Cosima who still lay in the bed on the opposite wall. Instinctively the young woman rubbed her neck where Paul had pressed his hands against, feeling the ghost of his touch again as well as the burning her own touch created.

What Cosima couldn't see were the deep purple marks Paul's touch had left on her. Ten fingers pressed around such a delicate figure, every single finger brightly exposed to the world. Since the marks started to show themselves, Delphine felt the urge to punch Paul herself. Cosima already looked so fragile but the purple bruises just worsened this impression tenfold. She was glad Cosima didn't have to see them as well.

"Maybe he's a little brisk but he just tried to protect you and the people inside. He did the right thing, Delphine, and you know it." Cal replies, holding Delphines gaze with ease.

"I still demand that he gets punished. Next time he may kill someone and I won't tolerate such behavior from my guards, do you understand?"

The blonde girl had fire, Cosima was impressed and in Cal's place she'd be far too scared to disobey her, but obviously Cal was much braver than her.

"The guards are under my orders, princess. You are under my protection and Paul did the right thing. I won't punish him for doing as he was told. Like it or not Delphine, the Pharaoh put me in command and ordered your protection as a first priority."

Before she had a chance to reply Cal took a few steps away from Delphine and stood by Cosima's bedside. His movements were so quick and fluid that she had to close her mouth after the shock went off. Behind him, she could see Delphine grabbing something from underneath her robe but not taking it out. The princess only watched Cal like a hawk its prey, observing every move and tightening her grip on the small dagger she hid underneath her clothes. Preparing for every scenario this moment could turn into. Estimating how far she was willing to go or needed to go, as she knew there were no limits for her, not for Cosimas safety.

"But as I said, Paul was under my orders so your injuries are my fault too." Cal addressed Cosima, kneeling in front of the bed so they were eye to eye. "I'm very sorry my lady and hope that you'll forgive him and me for his roughness." He turned his head to the side, back to the blonde and Cosima had the feeling that his gesture meant that he wasn't just speaking to her. Before his attention was back on her again. "He just tried to do the right thing. Our princess is very important to us and we'll do whatever it takes to protect her." Cal said and closed his eyes before he laid two fingers over his heart and bowed in front of her.

It was a gesture pleading for her forgiveness. Her forgiveness. She broke into the temple, an act punished by death and those two fought over a few bruises and the behavior of a guard who only did his job. Was she still dreaming? That was absolutely not what Cosima had expected or what should happen at all.

"Yeah, I can see that." The brunette said and added with a small smile to Delphine. "Can totally understand that, though. I consider myself lucky he stopped, who knows if I had in his place. No worries. Totally forgiven."

Cal kissed his fore- and middle finger as he laid them over his heart again and he bowed down one last time. "Thank you very much. You're very generous."

"No problem. Like I said, complete understanding here."

"Which leads me to the other reason I'm here." Cal lifted his head and Cosima saw the change of topic in his whole body posture. _'Let the trouble begin.'_

"What exactly is your name and how and why were you in the temple?" He still knelt in front of her, staring at her like he could see everything she even thought to hide. The man who apologized to her mere seconds ago was gone, replaced by the captain of the royal guards, Cosima suspected him to be.

There were rumors on the street. Cal, the Lion. His beard only contributed to this byname. From what she heard in the taverns, he'd fought many battles in his young age and never lost one of them. He wasn't just a strong soldier who beat his opponents with pure force, he used his brain to win and Cosima admired his way. There were many fights and the same amount of men who got beaten by the Lion. So many fights he was destined to lose but he always left them as victor. There was a legendary fight with the former lead of the guards, Vic, Cosima still heard about even days after it happened. Both men were undefeated until then. One of them had to lose this title after the fight and the bets were on Vic's side. Unfortunately, Cal proved them wrong again and Vic had to retire from his former position, lucky to get away with his life.

Helena's friend Jesse was a big fan of Cal, as he earned some money when the guards wanted to bet on the fight for the leadership. Naturally most of the men bet on Vic and lost. All of them were like Vic, strong but stupid. Otherwise they'd be suspicious when a young, obviously poor young man offered them a bet who they were sure couldn't lose. The guards who refused to place a bet had this knowing grin and sent Jesse to the 'perfect candidates' or 'victims', as Jesse called them.

Cal tried to change the former guard standards, wanted them to train differently, sent them to help into the city and change their demeanor to the citizens but it was hard to execute such big changes when the Pharaohs' personal adviser blocked most of his ideas, so Cal needed to work with what he got.

Never had she thought that she had to fear the Lion of the Pharaoh would strike on her. Maybe Delphine was okay with her break in and out but Cal wouldn't let it go as easily. Why should he? It was his job. She wasn't even sure why Delphine didn't let him throw her into the lion's pit. Great Thot what has she gotten herself into?

"I'm..."

"I already told you she's a friend of mine, Cal. I know her from before I came here. Her name is Beth. You remember the name right? I told you stories about her." Delphine interfered and was instantly back at Cosimas bedside, standing now between Cal and Cosima as a living shield. Cal couldn't look at her or touch her without pushing Delphine out of the way, which he wouldn't dare.

"I thought your friend didn't come with you when you got here."

"As you can see she came to visit me and instead of a happy reunion she almost got strangled." The reproof wasn't lost to him but he ignored it again. True, the princess told him stories about her former life and her friends and there was someone named Beth but he hadn't pictured her like that. This woman didn't look like she was living in a palace. More like a worker at the pyramids, weak, gaunt and filthy. The clothes wouldn't be worn in a palace from any country either.

"Is this true?" Cal asked and looked around his princess to observe the other womans reaction. Delphine wanted to say something but was beaten when Cosima nodded enthusiastic. Closing her eyes as the dizziness returned.

"If you don't mind me asking milady, what are you doing here? Why wasn't the palace informed that a friend of princess Delphine is on her way here?" He wasn't going to let it go, Delphine needed to think of something fast.

"This is none of your business Cal. Beth is my friend and my friends don't need to be investigated by you when they just want to surprise me with a visit." Her answer was sharp and her urgency to make him leave didn't get lost by Cal but Delphine didn't have a choice. If Cosima said just one wrong word there was nothing she would be able to do to protect her.

"Varus said that she needs rest so I ask you to leave right now, Cal otherwise I'll order you to." He hesitated at first his leg twitching between a step for and back and Delphine prepared herself for another argument but he eventually bowed to her, laid his right hand over his heart, as a sign that he would obey her wishes, before he turned around and left the room, closing the wooden door quite soundly.

"You just lied to the captain of the royal guards."

"Oui. I know." Delphine answered and again Cosima wished she'd turn her eyes back to her so she could decipher her behavior. Instead the blonde just starred at the closed door, replaying in her mind how it slowly closed as the realization of what she just did sunk in.

"Not that I'm complaining, but why?"

"Why did you break in in the first place?"

"I can't tell you that and you know it." Cosima answered immediately. Whatever Delphine's reasons were she couldn't dare to trust the blond with the knowledge of her sisters too.

"Did you break in to kill someone, Cosima? Did you plan to hurt someone here?" Her voice was quiet and she needed to listen closely to be sure she didn't miss anything.

"What? No, why should I?" she answered, shocked that Delphine even considered it.

"Regardless what you would've said to Cal or anybody else they would judge you for what you could've done, not for the real reason you were here. They judge it with prevention. If one person can get in, others can too. Being royal is dangerous these days, Cosima. Caution keeps us alive."

"How do you know I'm worth disobeying your caution? Being alone with me could be part of my plan and I could try to kill you any second now."

Delphine responds instantly, like she just waited for the question. "Because I .." but she didn't finish, instead the blonde bit herself on her under lip and started again. "Because you're not the murderer type, Cosima. I see things like this." The blonde ended with an unconvincing smile and left Cosima with the nagging feeling that this wasn't what she originally planned to say.

"You should try to sleep again. The healers' orders were clear. You need rest and nobody will disturb you here anymore."

"I can't. I have to go home again." Cosima said and tried to push her legs out of bed. How long had she been here anyway? Her sisters would be worried. Had Ramon brought them her part of the food? She needed to get back home to them. Make sure Helena was getting better and Sarah was staying out of trouble.

The world turned again and she felt Delphine's arms catching her fall and softly maneuvering her body into the pillow again.

"You have to get better first, Cosima. Just rest for a few more hours. The temple is safe for you, I promise." Delphine stroked her thumb slightly over her cheek again and Cosima felt herself drifting to sleep quite easy as she felt a light kiss on her forehead and also something wet hitting her cheeks. Both confusingly familiar, like she lived this scenario hundreds of times before. If it weren't for Delphine's tears, Cosima wouldn't mind it at all.

* * *

**A/N: I know your guys are curious about the connection but you'll find out soon enough, I promise. I know it is taking slow but the next chapter will have more speed or plot, I wanted you to get a grip on those two and introduce Cal and a little back story and show you what's going on, even when I wasn't very specific. I hope it wasn't to boring for you.**

_Egypt god lexicon as mentioned in the story:_

_Osiris: God of death who judges your soul_

_Isis: Goddess of beauty_

_Thot: God of wisdom and Cosimas favorite_

The greeting is something so simple that wasn't written down anywhere so I made it up BUT the Egypts knew that the heart was the most important part of the body and respect was given in ways like this. I will feature it again later. If anything isn't accurate feel free to tell me.

As you probably noticed the behavior or language isn't much accurate which is intended. I think a lot of the characteristics is shown via speech and behavior and I didn't want to cut them more then necessary. They should still be the characters we love and keep the reasons we do so.

Thanks for reading! A review would be lovely. And for the anon who asked about the French language in Egypt, I have something in mind ;) hopefully you'll like it too. Was actually a big question for me too. And I'm glad you thought that the wait was worth it. Hopefully it still is but I doubt it, so sorry. And ASAP isn't ignored, I promise! Chapter 5 is almost ready, so hang on!


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